Shelving



June 18, 11935. ONIONS ET AL 2,005,593

' SHELVING Filed July 11, 1955 Patented June 18, 1935 UNl'i' sans SHELVING Application July 11, 1933, Serial No. 679,928

5 Claims.

This invention relates generally to improvements'in shelving and particularly to adjustable book-shelving of the metallic type.

One of its objects is the provision of steel 5 shelving which has been designed for use in libraries, schools, law ofiices, etc., and which is strong and rigid in construction, easily set up, and readily adjustable.

Another object of the invention is to provide shelving of this character having simple, strong and inexpensive means for supporting the shelves in a firm and non-displaceable manner.

In the accompanying drawing-Figure l is a fragmentary perspective view of our improved shelving. Figures 2 and 3 are enlarged vertical sections taken substantially in the planes of lines 2-2 and 3-3, Figure 6. Figure 4 is a perspective View of one of the shelf-supporting rails or brackets. Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective View looking at the end of one of the shelves. Figure 6 is a fragmentary horizontal section through one of the shelf-supporting uprights. Figure '7 is a vertical section taken on line l'i, Figure 6.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

This improved shelving is built of sheet steel and intended particularly for books, the same consisting of vertical supporting walls or uprights it, horizontal shelves ill adjustably disposed between the uprights and having their longitudinal edges rolled or smooth faced, and shelf supporting members or brackets l2 detachably applied to the uprights.

Each of the uprights is preferably in the form of a hollow structure, being formed from flat stock bent in substantially the shape of an elongated U to provide a space it between the side walls thereof. At their ends, the resulting side walls terminate in outwardly bent flanges M and fitted about these flanges and closing the rear end of the space it is a back plate or strip l5 whose upright marginal edges are bent inwardly to provide opposing flanges it which embrace the companion flanges i i. For the purpose of maintaining the rear ends of the upright-walls in proper spaced relation, the back plate i5 is provided with suitable spacers or blisters ll at suitable points along its length and against the opposite sides of which the remaining side walls of the upright abut. In practice these spacers may be formed by making parallel slits in the back plate and then displacing the portion between these slits inwardly, in the manner seen in Figures 6 and 7.

Formed in the side walls of each upright (Cl. 21l136) adjacent their front and rear edges are alining pairs of vertically-spaced openings or slots it, these slots being preferably comparatively narrow and disposed in a horizontal position in the direction of their length.

The shelf-supporting members or brackets 62 are adapted to be detachably engaged with one or another of the pairs of slots 98 and the uprights it, and the shelves i i in turn are adapted to be removably supported upon and interlocked 10 with said brackets. To accomplish these ends, each bracket is preferably in the form of a rail of angle-shape in cross section to provide a horizontal shelf-engaging portion or ledge l9 and a downwardly and outwardly inclined brace portion or web 2%, the free or outer edge of the latter terminating substantially in the plane of the rear edge of said ledge portion. At or near its opposite ends the ledge portion of the rail has upstanding tongues or projections 2i rising from the rear edge thereof and offset or displaced outwardly a slight distance from the rear edge of the ledge, as shown Figure 4. These tongues, in the assembled position of the shelving, are adapted to engage the companion slots it in the uprights it in such a way that the inner faces of such tongues bear firmly and snugly against the inner face of the contiguous uprightwall. In this position, the depending brace webs 25B abut edgewise against the outer face of such upright-wall, as clearly depicted in Figure 2. The length and width of the slots H! are slightly larger than the length and thickness of the tongues 2i, thereby permitting the ready inser-' tion and removal of the shelf-supporting rails into and out of such slots and yet aifording a comparatively snug fit to prevent objectionable displacement of the supporting rail crosswise of the shelving, the brace webs and tongues jointly preventing the downward displacement or tilting 40 of the rails and effectually holding them in a set position. In effecting the insertion and removal of the supporting rails, the same are tilted to the position shown by dotted lines in Figure 2 to bring the tongues 2i into alining registration with the slots 58.

The shelves H are adapted to be detachably supported upon the ledges is of the rails l2, and for this purpose each shelf is provided at its opposite ends with depending flanges 22, and the rear or inner edge of each rail-ledge is provided with a longitudinally-extending recess 23 which, with the adjoining wall of the upright, forms an opening with which the companion shelf-flange 22 is adapted to engage in the manner shown in Figure 3. The shelf-tongue 22 and the recess 23 of the supporting rail are substantially the same length so that the shelf is effectually held against displacement crosswise of the uprights l0.

While manifestly simple, compact and inexpensive in construction, this improved book shelving is strong and rigid, it is easily set up and readily adjustable to suit the needs of the user.

We claim as our invention:----

1. In a shelving unit, the combination of a pair of uprights having openings therein, and shelfsupporting members of ./-shape in cross-section applied to the opposing inner faces of said uprights and each having upstanding portions thereon projecting from the free edge of one of its walls and insertable into said openings and engageable with the outer face of the companion upright above the openings, the other wall of each of said V-shaped members having its free edge facing the upright to abut against the inner face thereof below its adjoining opening.

2. In a shelving unit, the combination of a pair ofuprights having openin s therein, shelf-supporting members applied to the opposing faces of said uprights and each having upstanding portions thereon engagin said openings in interlocking relation therewith, each of said members having a recess its rear edge forming an opening between same and the adjoining uprightwall, and shelves disposed between said supporting members and each having a depending flange at each end thereof engaging in the recess of the companion supporting member.

3. Asa new article of manufacture, a supporting bracket consisting of a rail-like member having upstanding coupling tongues projecting from the opposite ends of its rear edge and disposed in a plane displaced rearwardly from such edge, said edge having a longitudinal recess between said tongues, and a downwardly and rearwardly extending abutment brace member projecting from the front edge of said member and terminating at its free edge substantially in the plane of the rear edge of said member.

4. In a shelving construction, a shelf-supporting bracket consisting of a rail-like member having upstanding tongues r jecting from its rear edge and disposed in aplane displaced rearwardly from such edge and a longitudinal recess in said edge, said member having a depending angularly disposed brace member extending downwardly andrearwardly from its front edge,

and a shelf provided at each end with a depending flange engaging the recess in the companion rail-like member.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a bracket for shelving consisting of a rail-like member of angle-shape in cross-section to provide a horizontal ledge and a brace web projecting downwardly from such ledge, said ledge having interlocking tongues rising from its rear edge adjacent the ends thereof and a longitudinal recess in such rear edge between said tongues.

HERBERT J. ONIONS. R. E. SANDBERG. 

